


How Do You Say I Love You?

by Lucigoosey_The_Morningstar



Series: Lucifer AU Writing [5]
Category: Lucifer (TV)
Genre: And Ella, And Linda, Apparently so is Michael, Deckerstar is strong here, F/M, God has some advice for his son too lmao, Lucifer needs advice, Romance, The righteous soldier of Heaven is giving the Devil relationship advice, Trixie is a love expert, Whop Whop
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-20
Updated: 2019-01-20
Packaged: 2019-10-13 13:33:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,508
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17488961
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lucigoosey_The_Morningstar/pseuds/Lucigoosey_The_Morningstar
Summary: Lucifer's never been all that good with emotions, anyway.





	How Do You Say I Love You?

"Do it again!"

"The things that amuse you, child, I'm almost concerned…" Lucifer trailed off with an exasperated sigh, narrowing his eyes curiously at the kid in front of him. Trixie stared back with an innocence that, of course, only someone like her could muster after seeing what she just had - And requesting to see it again? Not exactly something the Devil had been expecting, but, alas, Lucifer wasn't one to disappoint and the kid  _was_ asking. So, clearing his throat, Lucifer sat back and narrowed his eyes. His gaze sparked, consuming in a deep red as he lifted his chin slightly. He'd discovered, not too long after God had left, that his Devil face had reappeared - Along with his, Michael  _and_ Amenadiel's wings.

And so, that was the face Trixie was staring at now, his Devil face. And, somehow, it honestly warmed the Devil inside when the kid just grinned, not looking put-off in the slightest. No fear, not at all - Just pure awe and curiosity as she reached out, running her fingers along the burning marks on his face. Lucifer tilted his head, but he didn't move, amusement sparkling through his red eyes as he narrowed his eyes at the kid. "You are  _weird_."

"Says Satan himself," Trixie retorted, narrowing her eyes right back at him, but judging by the smile on her face, she meant no harm with her words. And, honestly, it drew a laugh from the Devil as he shook his head, Devil face fading back to normal as he shrugged and looked up, the red in his eyes dulling back to their usual color.

"Touche'."

"So," Trixie started her sentence as casually as possible. She pulled herself up onto the couch to sit beside him now, eyeing the glass of whiskey in his hand briefly before looking back up to meet his gaze, cocking her head to the side. "Are you and my Mommy having sex?"

Unfortunately, Lucifer had just taken a sip of the whiskey before she said that. And, also unfortunately, he sucked in a sharp breath at the words. Which, ultimately, ended horribly when he started coughing, reaching out and setting the glass down on the coffee table in front of them and shaking his head violently, clearing his throat. It took him a minute to recover - From the question, not the choking on whiskey - And he turned to fix the kid beside him with a purely bewildered stare. "Certainly not!" He exclaimed, clearing his throat.

"She won't sleep with you?" Trixie asked, almost sympathetically, and Lucifer marveled at how she could say that with such an innocent gleam in her eyes.

"You've been spending too much time with Maze," Lucifer told her seriously, taking a deep breath and rolling his eyes. "Your mother and I have simply decided to take things slow in our relationship." He picked the glass back up, sat back, and after a few seconds of complete silence from both of them in which Trixie gave him the best deadpan stare she could muster, he spoke up again, much more quietly. "And… She won't sleep with me."

Trixie nodded faintly in understanding. "'Kay." Her gaze fixed on the glass when Lucifer took a sip, tilting her head to the side and staring for a moment before speaking. "What's that?"

Lucifer considered the question for a moment, pausing to glance at her. "Something you're not legally allowed to have until you're at least twenty-one," he finally replied. "Sorry about your bad luck, child." He tilted his head, glancing toward the elevator for a moment before looking up at the ceiling, narrowing his eyes with a hum. He had been surprised, and amused, when Chloe asked him to babysit, but after a bit of reluctance, he had accepted. She was probably testing how responsible he could be with her offspring - Very well, then Detective, challenge accepted. Lucifer was going to be a responsible little Devil and take care of the spawn until Chloe came to retrieve her. Which shouldn't be long now, actually.

"Do you love my Mommy?" Trixie asked suddenly, tilting her head to meet his gaze. And Lucifer, caught off guard once more, just barely avoided once more choking on the whiskey. He hesitated, though. Not because he had to think of the answer to that - Dad knows he knew the answer to that perfectly. But because he hadn't even said the words to Chloe herself yet. Honestly, he didn't think he'd ever said the words to  _anyone_. Of course, he  _planned_ to, maybe about a few years from now…

But the idea of saying the words genuinely scared him. Because once he did, he couldn't take it back. Once he did, he was committing completely. Not that he had any trouble with that. The moment he and Chloe decided to start dating, Lucifer had ditched the strippers, the sex parties. He'd completely committed to the Detective - Which, she'd admitted, impressed and surprised her - So commitment as far as  _that_ went wasn't an issue.

The issue was the emotional commitment. Lucifer was used to having all of these walls build up around him, not only shielding his emotions from the world but shielding  _himself_ from his emotions. Saying the words would… Well, make him… Vulnerable. Emotionally vulnerable. It would be displaying a side of him he'd never shown before. Yes, he told her he cared about her. And maybe he didn't say  _I love you_ out loud, but he expressed it in every day actions. The little things he did for her, the way he spoke to her, looked at her, kissed her. Everything he did, it was clear, and he was certain she knew that.

But saying it out loud would make it real. Saying it out loud would put him wide open, heart on his sleeve. And the thought of that was more terrifying than anything.

She hadn't said it either. He wondered if she was just as scared as he was.

Lucifer blinked, realizing he hadn't quite answered yet. He wasn't going to lie to the kid, but he didn't want to answer. He wanted the first time he said it to be directly to Chloe, anyway. So, he kept silent, and she seemed to understand, because she turned her attention to the TV wordlessly. Something about talking, magical ponies or whatever. Lucifer wasn't paying attention. He downed the rest of the whiskey in his glass and set it down on the table, a frown tugging at his lips now as he contemplated. Maybe it was time to take that leap. Maybe it was time to say it. Throw caution to the wind and just express it all, everything he felt about her. And, admit what was true; He loved her. He truly, deeply loved her. He could sit there and think it, all day, the words running through his head, and he knew it was true.

But when they were together? It was hard to speak in the first place, much less say those words…

Lucifer clicked his teeth together and stood up to pour himself another shot of whiskey, shaking his head. He had a lot to consider, a lot to decide. Because he still wasn't sure if he was ready - If  _either_ of them were ready - To say it.

The Devil had fallen in many ways before, but he'd never expected that falling in love would be one of those ways.

And this kind of fall, for him, was one that would seemingly never end.

* * *

The next day, he was still thinking. Maybe a little too hard. He was with Michael, the two of them in the precinct, his older brother sitting at his desk and doodling boredly in some notebook while Lucifer tossed a coin up into the air and caught it. It was only a few months after Pierce's death - After all the incredible life-changing stuff had gone down. Lucifer and Michael actually somewhat got along now - Or, at least, neither of them were trying to kill each other anymore. His older brother had, surprisingly, kept his job. Probably to be closer to Ella, Lucifer suspected, despite the two of them living together.

Normally, Lucifer would be at Chloe's desk talking to her - Since, of course, she  _was_ his partner. But he couldn't, for two reasons. One, she was talking to the new Lieutenant. And two, he had a lot on his mind, and actually had to talk to his brother about something, but he didn't quite know how to bring it up.

"Should I get a guitar?" Michael broke the silence, sounding curious as he set the pencil down and looked up at Lucifer. The Devil hummed faintly in reply, his gaze fixed through the window of the Lieutenant's office, eyes fixed only on Chloe. He smiled a little despite himself - She really was beautiful. "I think I should get a guitar. I could definitely learn how to play. And, I like music. I definitely need a guitar… Okay, what's up, you've been staring at Decker for like, ten minutes, Sammy."

That brought Lucifer's attention to his brother, sending the older archangel a rather annoyed glance. Michael gave a simple one-shouldered shrug in response. Lucifer had eventually given in to his brother's persistence at calling him "Sammy", mainly because it got exhausting to keep correcting him. And, he'd realized, it was more out of habit than anything else. It was what Michael had always called him, and Lucifer doubted that would ever change. "Yes, I apologize. I've got quite a bit on my mind," he sighed, glancing back toward Chloe for a second. "You should definitely get a guitar. We could start a band."

"Right, get Amenadiel a drum set and go at it," Michael agreed, a small chuckle escaping him, but he turned serious again when Lucifer fell silent, once more staring at Chloe. "And you're doing it again. Seriously, what's up?"

Lucifer hesitated for a moment, keeping his gaze fixed on the Detective for a moment before turning his head to look at his older brother. And he stayed silent for a little while, wondering how to ask what he wanted to ask, before finally just setting the coin he was tossing on the desk and turning completely to face Michael. "Have you told Miss Lopez you loved her yet?"

Michael squinted slightly at him, head tilting and his amber eyes sparkling with confusion for a moment. "Yeah, why?"

"How do you do it?" Lucifer pressed, eyebrows pinching together as he narrowed his eyes at his older brother. "How did you do it the first time? What happened?"

Michael opened his mouth, then closed it, looking extremely taken aback by his brother's questions. "Uh, fff…" He trailed off, shaking his head. "Well, uh, it just… I just… It just came out, man. I just… Said it?"

Lucifer blinked, honestly now feeling a little bit lost. "You just  _said it_?" He repeated. "It wasn't a big deal and all that?"

"Well, it was a big deal," Michael admitted, shaking his head in bewilderment. "A pretty big deal, actually, I mean, saying that and meaning it for the first time is… Well…" He trailed off, his gaze flickering back up to his younger brother's face, and then to the Lieutenant's office, a look of realization crossing his face. "Ohhhh," he chuckled, a grin twitching at his lips. "You wanna say it to Decker, don't you."

"I want to actually tell her how I feel, but…" Lucifer trailed off with a frustrated sigh, picking the coin back up. He turned his back to his brother, flipping the coin back up into the air and catching it in his open palm easily. "I'm not sure  _how_. Obviously it's big deal, and there's a lot of  _pressure_ that comes with it…" He huffed, shaking his head. "And I'm not even entirely sure, if she… If she…"

"Feels the same way?" Michael offered helpfully, and chuckled when Lucifer nodded. "Okay, Sammy, I really think you're overthinking this," he admitted. "Yes, it's a big deal, but stressing over  _when_ to say it is just going to drive you mad. My advice? Just wait it out. You can't force it. When you finally say it for the first time, you won't even realize it. No amount of preparing yourself or whatever is going to make a difference - It just comes when it comes."

Lucifer stayed silent, listening curiously. Michael fell silent as well, clearly pondering his own words, and Lucifer gave them both a few good seconds before he spoke up quietly. "And here is Heaven's greatest soldier preaching about love to the Devil in a police station."

That had Michael cracking up pretty good, and even Lucifer managed a tiny smirk despite himself. But his gaze flickered uncertainly, fixed on the coin in his hand. And when Michael stopped laughing, he looked up, tilting his head at his brother. "Seriously, though, Sammy. Don't pressure yourself about this. Just let it happen."

"Right…" Lucifer trailed off, gaze flickering up to Chloe once more, before dropping back to the coin. "Just let it happen."

* * *

Second opinion. He needed a second opinion. And, considering that he had so many emotions twisting inside, strange and different and hard to decipher, he went to the one person who could usually help him understand his feelings - Or at least, try to help him understand. Because, who better to help him through this than his trusty friend and therapist, Doctor Linda?

"Have you ever been in love?" It was the first thing that broke through his lips when he entered the office, and he barely registered the surprised look on Linda's face. She seemed to consider that for a moment, looking extremely confused as Lucifer paced toward the couch, then stopped, not really wanting to sit down at the moment. The Devil was practically bursting with energy at that point, and he needed his questions answered so that he could understand how to actually tell the Detective how he felt about her.

"Um…" Linda trailed off, tilting her head at Lucifer as she eased herself back into her chair, gesturing to the couch. Lucifer, albeit reluctant, turned to face her and forced himself to sit down, sinking into the cushions and taking a deep breath. "Yes, I have. Why do you ask?"

"And did you ever tell them this?" Lucifer pressed, leaning forward and resisting the urge to stand up again. "That you loved them?"

"Yes," Linda responded, giving a bewildered shake of her head and furrowing her eyebrows at her patient. Lucifer exhaled, looking away, toward the window, and Linda cocked her head to the side even more, confused. "Really, Lucifer, what is this about?" She asked slowly.

Lucifer opened his mouth, then closed it again, shaking his head. And after a moment, he turned back to Linda, forcing himself to focus. "As you know, me and the Detective have… Started a… Romantic relationship," he told her, hesitating a bit more. "And her offspring asked me the other day, if I…" He trailed off, taking a deep breath. "If I love the Detective."

Linda blinked, looking faintly surprised at that. She sat back, nodding, and stayed silent for a few moments, clearly thinking that over before responding. "Do you?"

"I-" Lucifer cut off, once more uncertain, and forced his gaze away once more. He stared out the window, clicking his teeth together wordlessly. Again, he didn't want his first time saying it to be to anyone except Chloe. "It's… I just want to know how to tell her. How to tell her… How I feel about her. And I'm not quite sure how to do that without…"

"Without being vulnerable," Linda finished for him, understanding flickering through her eyes. Lucifer nodded, somewhat hesitantly, and Linda hummed. "Well, if you do love her, then you should definitely tell her. A little bit of vulnerability shouldn't get in the way of you expressing your feelings to her, whatever they may be. And being open with your emotions is healthy in any relationship, especially between romantic partners."

"Right," Lucifer mumbled, chewing on the inside of his cheek contemplatively as he dropped his gaze to his hands, lightly tapping his fingers together and hesitating as he thought those words over. "But my problem is, I don't know if either of us are ready for it yet. Perhaps me more so than the Detective," he allowed, shaking his head. "But regardless, we're still in the early stages of our relationship - Romantically, anyway - And I'm not sure whether or not it's too soon to actually…" He trailed off.

Linda nodded, narrowing her eyes and adjusting her glasses. She was silent for a while as she thought about that, her gaze fixed on Lucifer intently. "Well, you'll never really know until it's the right time to say it until you actually… Say it," she finally responded. "Have you ever told anyone you loved them before?"

"Never a day in my life," Lucifer remarked, blinking. "Not in a romantic way, at least. But love between siblings and family doesn't count- I've never told any of my…" He trailed off, squinting, before settling on a word. "Partners… That I loved them. Because, as you know, I don't lie."

"And do you feel that, in any way, you would be lying by telling Chloe that you love her?"

"Not in the slightest," Lucifer answered without hesitation, his voice going a little quieter. Linda smiled slightly at that, giving a faint nod of approval before straightening up and clearing her throat, adjusting her glasses once more.

"Well, then, there you go, Lucifer. You know how you feel about her, and you know what you want to say to her. But something like this can't be forced. And waiting for the right moment to say it will all be worth it," Linda stated. "Don't pressure yourself. Wait until you're comfortable to tell her how you feel - Until you both are."

Lucifer frowned, but nodded. It was exactly what Michael had said, but Lucifer was still uncertain. It couldn't really be that easy, could it? To him, it seemed so  _hard_. Even thinking about saying it… The Devil shook his head and leaned back, sighing. "Right. Thank you, Doctor," he mumbled, frowning.

"You're welcome," Linda replied, and fell silent for a moment. "... Now, can I switch from therapist mode to friend mode so I can fangirl over this?"

Lucifer rolled his eyes, though that brought a small smile to his lips. "Fangirl away…"

* * *

A third opinion. What could it hurt? Ella was full of passion. Lucifer was sure she knew all about love. If anyone could help him, it had to be her. Right? Right. So, the next day, Lucifer went to visit her in her lab. Michael was working a case with Dan and Chloe had stayed home with Trixie, so there was nobody there to interrupt. The Devil stood still, hesitating in the doorway and watching his friend move around her office, gloves on her hands as she carefully inspected a gun that had apparently been used to kill someone, but that wasn't the point. The Devil needed relationship advice.

It probably sounded weird, but if you knew Lucifer… Well, it was true. Ella had definitely noticed him at that point, but she had apparently decided not to say anything. Lucifer silently thanked her for that, because he wasn't quite ready to spill everything to her just yet. He still had to think of what to say, and how to say it. And prepare himself, in case Ella didn't give him the advice he was looking for. Hoping for. And if he heard "just wait for the right moment" one more time, he was going to lose it.

How would he know if it was the right moment? How would he know when to say it?

Honestly, he never expected this to be so complicated. Then again, it was love. Love was a human emotion. Of course it was complicated. It was always complicated. Because it was a  _human thing_ , and if there was any creature  _great_ at being  _complicated_ , it was  _humans_. Lucifer bit back a groan and closed his eyes, shaking his head.

Finally, though, he cleared his throat and stepped into the room, bringing Ella's attention to him easily. As if she already knew there was going to be some deep, emotional conversation she needed to focus on, she put the gun down and peeled the gloves off, turning to face him. The Devil just gave a sheepish smile, shifting his weight from one side to the other and rubbing his hands together as he hesitated. "Miss Lopez," he finally started. "You know much about human emotion, correct? More precisely, romantic love?"

"Uhhh, little bit, yeah. Why?" Ella tilted her head, crossing her arms and taking a few steps forward, looking up at him through those bright, innocent eyes of hers.

"Well…" Lucifer trailed off, taking a deep breath. "If I… Wanted to… Hypothetically…" He narrowed his eyes. "Tell someone that I love them… How would I… Go about that in the… Correct… Human… Way…" He squinted, glancing away and shifting back a little. "... Hypothetically…"

He was already nervous. The blank stare he got from Ella didn't help. "Dude, you haven't told Chloe you loved her yet?"

"I-" Lucifer's voice rose slightly in pitch, swallowing as he tried to bring it back down. "It- It's not that simple," he finally protested, clearing his throat and taking a deep breath. "I'd just like to know if- If there's a  _simple_ way of knowing when the right moment to say it is? Everyone keeps telling me to wait for it, wait for the right time, but how on Earth do they expect me to know when the right time would be? It's not like I've bloody done this before!"

"Awh, it's cute watching you freak out like a highschool nerd with a crush on a popular cheerleader," Ella cooed, laughing a little at the offended stare Lucifer turned on her. "Kidding, I'm kidding. Well, not about the cute part. Because this is cute," she stated. "Look, Luce, you'll  _know_ when it's the right time to tell her."

"But  _how_?" Lucifer insisted, running his fingers through his hair. "How would I know? What if I'm wrong, and I say it at the wrong time? Or what if I miss the right moment? Or what if I completely screw it up anyway somehow in some other way because I'm actually extremely good at screwing things up, if you haven't noticed-"

"I think you need to calm down before you give yourself a heart attack," Ella admitted, shaking her head with a smile. "Chlo's got a good one," she mumbled to herself, chuckling and looking back up to meet Lucifer's gaze. "Luce, there's no way you can mess this up. If you love her, everything'll work out just as it's supposed to. It'll all be fine. And like I said, you'll know when it's the right time."

Lucifer sighed, frustration sparkling through his eyes. He stayed silent for a long, long time before finally speaking again, eyebrows furrowing. "How will I know?"

"I don't know," Ella confessed with a shrug, tilting her head faintly to the side and seeming to consider that for a moment. And, after a moment, she shook her head cluelessly and shrugged once more, turning her gaze back to Lucifer. "But you'll  _know_."

"I don't see how," Lucifer grumbled. "I'm not that good at understanding human signals, you know. Maybe the perfect moment's already passed and I have messed it up…" He huffed, then cleared his throat. "Thank you for the advice, Miss Lopez."

"'Course!" Ella responded cheerfully, turning around to put her gloves back on. "Always happy to help, Luce, you know that. And whatever it takes to get the two of you married faster, am I-" But by the time she turned around, Lucifer was completely gone.

And he still had one more person to talk to.

* * *

Surprising as it was that he had turned to this, he had no other choice at that point. And, besides, this was the one who had pushed him and Chloe together in the first place. This was the one who had started the little game of matchmaker, who was, while it shocked the living Hell out of Lucifer, apparently some kind of  _Love Doctor_  or something. And even though he knew he wouldn't get much of an answer, he could at least ask for some kind of sign. Now that the two of them were on good terms. And so, he waited until later that night.

"Daaaaaad." Lucifer leaned forward, arms crossed over the rails of his penthouse terrace, his gaze fixed on the sky. He cocked his head back toward the penthouse, hearing the gentle snores from his oldest brother, and nodded faintly to himself before continuing. "I need a liiiiiittle help. Remember how you told me to ask the Detective out? Well, I did," he stated, eyes narrowing. "And I'm very happy with the way things seem to be going, and it seems she is, as well. Which is even better. But I do have one little problem, and I'm not sure how to fix it. You of all people know I'm not good with… Emotions. Much less complex, human emotions… So." He cleared his throat, glancing back up at the sky. "What do you think, hm? Is it too soon? The "perfect moment" not here yet? I've never really been one for waiting…"

He trailed off, dropping his gaze to the city below, and fell silent. "I know you're a tad busy now, so I don't expect another house call. But, perhaps, you could drop a little sign? A clear one," he warned. "You know I'm bad at picking up hints… But, ah…" He sighed. "I just need to know when I should tell her. If I should even tell her at all," he chuckled, glancing back up. "And… Yes, I am asking for a favor. For whatever you ask in return, I don't care. Just… Help me understand a little bit. Please?" He cocked his head, continuing to stare up at the sky for a long time, before turning away to head inside, sliding the glass door shut behind him. He headed over to his bar - Which Michael and Amenadiel had both insisted on helping him fix, and picked up a bottle of wine sitting on the counter.

He was about to turn to head to his room when he heard the familiar, soft  _ding_ of the elevator, and the doors sliding open. He turned his head, half expecting to see Michael, but his eyes widened in surprise when Chloe stepped through, instead, offering him a warm smile as she did. "Detective?" He grinned, tilting his head faintly to the side and turning completely to face her. "Well, this is a pleasant surprise. What brings you?"

"Just wanted to see you," Chloe replied with a shrug, eyeing the bottle in his hand. He snorted, but stepped forward to put it back on the counter, extending one arm to Chloe. When she walked forward into his reach, he lightly wrapped his arm around her and pulled her against him, then wrapped the other around her and planted a gentle kiss on the top of her head, earning a soft chuckle as he did so. "Haven't seen much of you for a few days."

"Yes, I apologize. I've been a tad busy," Lucifer sighed, resting his head on top of hers wordlessly for a moment. Chloe just hummed in reply, and Lucifer let his eyes slip shut, content to just stand there and hold her. And she definitely seemed to have no objections to it. It was something that kind of surprised Lucifer - How cuddly she was. And what surprised him even more was how cuddly  _he_ was. He didn't even care that they haven't had sex yet and probably wouldn't be for a little while. Just being with her - That was… Strangely, enough for him.

His chest ached with the familiar, burning feeling, the pain and the pleasure all at once. It hurt in a way that didn't really…  _Hurt_ , and it felt… It felt better than he could have ever dreamed.

Yes, the Devil was falling. He didn't think he was ever going to stop.

And truthfully, he didn't want to stop. He never wanted to stop falling for her.

Lucifer sighed and blinked his eyes open, rubbing circles in Chloe's back and looking up. His head tilted, glancing up and watching the lights dim around them. The TV cut off with a sharp click - Lucifer glanced over to ensure Amenadiel was still asleep, and he was. Chloe didn't seem to notice the TV turning off, nor the room growing darker until the only main light around them was the stars and moonlight shining through the window. The warm feeling in his chest intensified, like warm, burning flames flickering around his heart. It numbed him to everything else, and suddenly the only thing he could focus on was Chloe. His heart stuttered slightly, slowing to a brief stop before picking up again, strong and steady.

The Devil pulled his head back, looking up at the ceiling, then pulling back a bit more to look down at Chloe. The Detective paused, looking up and meeting his gaze before looking around, finally seeming to notice how dark it had suddenly gotten. "Wh…" She started, but paused when Lucifer suddenly pressed two fingers under her chin, lightly turning her head back around to face him. Those warm eyes met his again, filled with confusion and curiosity, and Lucifer swallowed back the lump that had suddenly, for whatever reason, begun forming in his throat. She looked beautiful in the moonlight - She looked beautiful anyway, but right then, nothing else could compare. And he was hit with it, all at once. The way he felt for her, it was more than any words could describe - More than he could ever tell her, even if he did want to. But he'd have to settle for telling her how he felt in words that she would understand.

"Lucifer," Chloe's voice was quiet, calm, filled with nothing but pure, undisguised love as she stared up at him, intense eyes fixed on his.

And at that moment, all of it slipped away.

All the overthinking, the waiting, the wondering and panicking and anxiety. Every single thought slipped away, simply vanishing from his mind as his gaze met hers. Every thought except one. His mouth twitched, chin lowering slightly and eyebrows pinching together as he stared down at the Detective, his arms still wrapped firmly around her and hers wrapped around his, fingers gripping into his shirt gently yet tightly.

She opened her mouth to speak, but Lucifer raised one hand to silence her, pausing for a second. She snapped her mouth shut, head tilting, waiting.

Lucifer simply put his hand on her shoulder and cleared his throat, holding her gaze. He wasn't hesitating anymore, no. He just wanted her to be completely focused on him when he said this, so that she didn't miss it. So that neither of them missed it.

"I love you."

At first, she didn't react. She just stared. And Lucifer gazed back, nervous and relieved at the same time. Because he'd finally said it - He'd finally managed to say it, and he meant it. He did love her. Chloe seemed speechless, mouth opening and closing silently as she fought to respond. But judging by the smile tugging at her lips, Lucifer hadn't screwed anything up. At least, not yet.

In response, she simply stretched up and pressed her lips against his. Lucifer was, admittedly, a little surprised by that, but he didn't hesitate to lean forward and kiss her right back, the hand he had on her shoulder moving up to gently tangle through her hair, eyes slipping shut. They broke apart eventually when breathing became an issue - At least, for Chloe, and she stood there in silence for a while, gasping, before tilting her head back to look at him right in the eyes.

"I love you too," she breathed, her eyes flickering warmly as she gazed up at him, the smile on her face never faltering.

Lucifer simply pulled her into a hug, and she nuzzled her head under his chin, once more digging her fingers into his shirt. Lucifer just pressed his head into hers, his smile slowly widening into a grin - A goofy, slightly cheeky grin, that no matter how much he tried to fight it back, he couldn't mask. So, instead, he just let it stay, despite how much it began to hurt his cheeks.

And, eventually, he let his gaze flicker to the ceiling, pulling Chloe a little closer to him and letting out a soft, silent sigh of contentment as he let his eyes shut once more.  _Thank you, Dad._


End file.
